Over $500,000 Worth Of Fake Labubu Dolls Intercepted At Seattle Airport, Cbp Says

A shipment of clone Labubu dolls that would beryllium worthy much than half a cardinal dollars if nan items were genuine was intercepted past week astatine Seattle's airport, authorities said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to inspect aerial cargo astatine Seattle-Tacoma International Airport seized 11,134 dolls pinch a suggested unit value worth of $513,937.76, a CBP spokesperson said Tuesday.

The seizure took spot Aug. 26 aft nan officers wished nan shipment violated national rule prohibiting unlawful imports and those that profit from others' intelligence holdings, nan spokesperson said successful a statement.

The shipment was falsely branded arsenic "LED Bulb" and originated successful South Korea, nan spokesperson said. Fake Labubus are often called "Lafufus."

Officers successful Seattle, Wash. seized 11,134 counterfeit LABUBU dolls weighted astatine $513,937.76. DFO Seattle

The ones intercepted successful Seattle will beryllium destroyed, nan CBP spokesperson said. No arrests person been made but they haven't been ruled out, according to nan spokesperson.

A London organization council this period warned consumers that buying "Lafufus" comes pinch risks: Poor building could lead to choking hazards if parts of nan dolls autumn off, it said, and nan materials could see "harmful chemicals."

The existent dolls are made nether nan Pop Mart marque and are portion of a group of characters, "The Monsters," that debuted successful a Nordic mythology-inspired image book trilogy successful 2015.

The characters and nan communicative are the brainchild of Hong Kong creator and writer Kasing Lung. By 2019, artifact elephantine Pop Mart turned them into viral vinyl collectibles, successful portion by trading them successful "blind box" packages that don't uncover nan type of Labubu wrong until opened.

Labubu, a girl, has made an quality astatine nan U.S. Open successful New York City this month, wherever two-time champion Naomi Osaka showed disconnected civilization versions that included "Billie Jean Bling," made to look for illustration pioneering champion Billie Jean King, and different tennis legends.

In nan metropolis of La Puente, California, earlier this month, nan owners of a shop called One Stop Sales said burglars stole its inventory of Labubu dolls.

A 2020 report by nan Library of Congress' Federal Research Division estimated that counterfeit equipment are worthy much than nan illicit supplier waste and acquisition successful nan United States. "Counterfeiting is nan largest criminal endeavor successful nan world," it said.

The section estimated 80% of counterfeit equipment successful nan state travel from China.

Precious metallic is sometimes utilized to thief abstracted fakes from collectables erstwhile it comes to different goods, specified arsenic Swiss watches. Some of nan Labubu’s fans are obsessing complete nan anticipation that a 24K golden type whitethorn exist, though that's unclear.

Pop Mart did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Speaking connected X, Brian Humphrey, CBP's Seattle operations director, praised his officers for uncovering nan clone Labubus and said nan agency will stay diligent.

"Excellent activity by our diligent and meticulous CBPOs!" he said. "P.S. we're still connected nan lookout for nan 1 and only 24K GOLD Labubu."